As construction grade lumber becomes increasingly scarce and, consequently, more expensive, polymer plastic lumber has come into wide spread usage for building decks. The same construction techniques used with wood lumber have been used in the construction of decks out of polymer plastic lumber, with disastrous results. Unlike wood lumber, polymer plastic lumber experiences wide variations in length with variations in temperature. A 16 foot length of polymer plastic lumber may experience a variation in length of as much as 2 inches. During the coldest day of winter the polymer plastic lumber will have a length of 15 feet 11 inches. During the warmest day of summer the polymer plastic lumber will have a length of 16 feet 1 inches. This thermal expansion and contraction has the effect of pulling out fasteners and buckling materials.